438 Dr. Maskelyne’s Remarks on the Accounts 
an estimation is liable to, and affords no ground for argument 
against the observations belonging to the same phenomenon, 
and consequently Js an additional confirmation of it. 
In order to ascertain the time, and other circumstances re- 
lating to the phenomenon, I made some inquiries of Mr. Wil- 
kins, by several letters, which he answered with much can- 
dour and exactness, as appears by the extracts of his answers 
prefixed to this account. 
Mr. Vince, in his letter to me, giving me the first notice 
of this phenomenon, observed that Mr. Wilkins is an emi- 
nent builder, a sensible man, and by no means likely to be 
deceived ; and adds, that the length of time during which he 
saw it, seems to preclude the possibility of any deception. 
Mr. Wilkins himself relates that he is long sighted, and that 
he distinguishes very well the dark part of the moon, illu- 
minated by a faint light, while she is young, which completes 
her circle. The other person, Thomas Stretton, is a young 
man of sobriety and steadiness, and long sighted also. I par- 
ticularly mention these circumstances, to obviate an objection 
that has been made to these accounts, from the circumstance 
of the bright star in the south eye of the bull, called Aldebaran, 
having passed by the moon the same evening, and been 
eclipsed by the northern part of her disk. I own it is a singu- 
lar coincidence of circumstances, that Aldebaran should the 
same evening pass behind the moon, in nearly the same track 
in which this star-like appearance was observed upon the dark 
part of the moon's disc : but the two facts, considered as inde- 
pendent of each other, are not incompatible. The appulse of 
Aldebaran to, and subsequent occultation by the moon s disc, 
was predicted in the nautical almanac, and observed by many. 
